My love affair with avocados began only recently, after many years of pointed avoidance. I thought their fat content was too high; they argued their health benefits more than made up for it. I thought they were expensive; they went on sale. I thought their color and inherent squishiness were kind of gross; they told me I was being a jerk.

Guac is the stuff of life.

Then, guacamole leapt onto my radar, and everything changed for the better. Guac is the stuff of life, see, and it's impossible to hate on any ingredient composing the stuff of life. I still have some concerns about the dip's fat, sure, but they're addressed easily enough with a few vegetables. Padding the guac with produce adds both texture and bulk, and does so inexpensively.

This Tomatillo Guacamole is a slightly tweaked All Recipes dish. I made it twice, and found it a tad too tangy the first time. So, for the second attempt, I dropped one of the tomatillos, added cilantro, and subbed a jalapeno in for red pepper flakes. A smaller dice helped to smooth things out as well. The result was about of quart of stellar, lighter guacamole, clocking in at 89 calories, 7.5 grams of fat, and 4.8 grams of fiber per serving.

If you're looking for another twist, my friend Rachel had great success with Gourmet's Charred Tomatillo Guacamole. Broiling the tomatillos brings out a deep, citrusy quality, eliminating the need for added lime juice.

If my only regret in life is not eating avocados sooner, I guess I'm doing OK. I still have 90 guacamole-filled years left, right?

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